Seattle, WA
How the Seahawks should approach 2024 free agency
While John Schneider is getting ready to tamper, we should all temper our expectations for the early stages of NFL free agency from a Seahawks perspective.
Seattle does have cap room and the ability to make some moves when free agency opens but whether they actually will is the question. John Schneider rarely dips his toes into the first wave of free agency where the big contracts are given out. Last year’s 3-year, $51 million contract to Dre’Mont Jones is an outlier.
How did that work out?
Jones still has the chance to play up to that contract but the fact that some were already debating whether he should be kept on the roster is telling. The Seahawks went after a top outside free agent and might be regretting that which could inform how Schneider will approach free agency in 2024.
I do think they’ll prioritize Leonard Williams, but they shouldn’t move heaven and earth to make a deal happen. Losing him would be a gut punch, though the trade capital used to acquire him is already gone so that shouldn’t be a factor. On the positive side, Williams has already been in the building and the front office staff was able to see how he fit in the organization. If Schneider reels him back in for a few more years, the culture fit won’t be questioned.
Williams is really the only guy that I want the Seahawks to give a big contract to in this free agency period. Outside of that – and particularly with players that haven’t been with Seattle – Schneider should look for value. That means no Patrick Queen. You could maybe convince me that the Seahawks should sign one of the top offensive guards but that would only be if they strike out on Williams. I don’t think Seattle will be handing out multiple top-of-the-market deals this year.
That doesn’t mean that the Seahawks should sit out of free agency altogether. Instead, I’m expecting them to dole out a handful of mid-level contracts on one or two-year deals to fill holes ahead of the draft. It’s not exciting but that’s been Schneider’s modus operandi for much of his time as the GM of the Seahawks. This gives him insurance in case the draft falls in an unexpected way.
Look at the 2023 outside free agent signings from our own recap.
Except for Jones, all of the deals were for one or two years. It was much the same in 2022 for Justin Coleman, Quinton Jefferson, Austin Blythe, Uchenna Nwosu, and Artie Burns.
There are some positions that are loaded with free agents where value can be found like the safeties. Seattle just cut Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs. Julian Love is returning but his running mate for next season is a question mark. It seems like every NFL team also shed some salary at the safety position because the free agent list is LONG. This is a chance for Schneider to hunt for value and potentially get a very good player on the cheap.
Think of how this worked out with Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett in 2013. Both guys signed short-term deals and were eventually rewarded with long-term contracts after they proved their fit in Seattle. Ditto for Uchenna Nwosu, who signed a short-term deal and earned a contract extension with his play for the Seahawks.
It could turn out the same for Julian Love, who signed with Seattle last offseason. His market didn’t materialize as he imagined, and the Seahawks scooped him up. Considering the purge at the safety position that Schneider just orchestrated, it seems like a pretty shrewd move.
The Seahawks currently have holes at interior OL, tight end, linebacker, and safety. Depending on what happens with Williams, we might have to add interior DL to the list. Seattle needs to field a complete roster, but they don’t need to break the bank to fill all of these spots. Look at what Macdonald did last year with guys like Kyle Van Noy and Jadeveon Clowney in Baltimore. Clowney signed with the Ravens in August and Van Noy in September. Both players were on cheap, one-year deals and produced 18.5 sacks combined for the Ravens.
Speaking of Baltimore, I do expect the Seahawks to sign at least one player from the Ravens to help instill Macdonald’s culture. Maybe it’s Geno Stone if he’s cheap enough. I already mentioned Clowney and would endorse that move. It could be Kevin Zeitler on the OL, which should only be a one-year deal given his age. These players provide another type of value that could be more important to Seattle than any other team given their familiarity with Macdonald.
He’s inheriting a roster that already has plenty of young talent. Now, Schneider can augment that even more with smart, calculated free agent additions to stock the cupboard and free up the possibilities heading into the NFL Draft.
SEATTLE – Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington. Eastern and central Washington will reach near 100F with high fire danger. The coast and north interior will be cooler, only in the 60s to 70s.
Wednesday will be another warm day with highs in the mid to upper 80s for parts of western Washington.
Fire Weather Watch
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds. Lightning strikes could create new fire starts and, with very dry conditions in place, any new fire could spread quickly.
A Fire Weather Watch goes into effect Wednesday evening through Thursday evening for thunderstorms and gusty winds.
What’s next:
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and a chance of thunderstorms. The heaviest showers will be in the morning hours and will turn more scattered into the evening hours.
An upper level low will move into the Pacific Northwest, bringing scattered showers and chance of thunderstorms.
Looking Ahead:
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine. We will start to see highs reach the upper 80s to low 90s by early next week.
High pressure will build again Friday and into the weekend, increasing temperatures and sunshine.
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After so many disappointing seasons with the interior offensive line, the Seattle Seahawks made a commitment last offseason to improve the unit. They started one big step at a time by drafting North Dakota State guard Grey Zabel in the first round, 18th overall pick, of the 2025 NFL Draft. This one was one of the last steps for the Seahawks to create one of the most productive offenses in the NFL.
Zabel wasn’t perfect in his rookie season, but he was good enough to validate the decision to draft him in the first round, and he showed improvement. Zabel is already a favorite among some Seahawks fans and some media outlets as they love his determination and spirit. It was a big jump from the FCS collegiate level to the NFL and this season, he has a chance to show why he might be a top-half-of-the-league guard.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Higher?
The Seahawks wanted a determined workhorse when looking for a guard. That’s exactly what they got in Zabel. Last season, he appeared in 1,051 snaps, which is only 10 fewer snaps than right tackle Abraham Lucas, who had the most offensive snaps. Zabel got better as the season progressed. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 81.5 and a run-block grade of 81.2 in Week 14 through the NFC Championship Game.
There were times last season when he looked like a monster against several defenders. He was pushing some defenders completely out of the way on pulling plays and even ran to defenders after the pass-catcher caught the ball. This is the mentality the Seahawks expect him to have going into his second season in the league. He has more experience and the complete trust of the team to be a franchise player on par with Lucas and left tackle Charles Cross. If he continues to improve, he will be another steal for the Seahawks.
Why Zabel Could Be Ranked Lower?
There were times last season when he didn’t quite catch up to the learning curve of the NFL. Zabel allowed two sacks, four hits and 24 pressures in 2025. The Seahawks expect those numbers to decrease significantly as he is experienced and capable of playing at an efficient level. While Zabel is impressive, he might not be the best player the Seahawks have selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. That honor belongs to slot cornerback Nick Emmanwori, who is stepping up to be the steal of the draft.
Zabel is easily one of the best second-year players and is one of the top offensive linemen, but there are players behind him because they haven’t proven to be consistently explosive for the Seahawks. There is going to be even more pressure on him this upcoming season. The Seahawks hired a more run-friendly coach in Brian Fleury as offensive coordinator. His ranking at the end of the season might be much better if he improves, or worse if he fails to reach expectations.
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SEATTLE – High pressure continues early this week, leading to more sunshine and warmer afternoon temperatures. Skies will be sunny, warm and dry through the middle of the week.
High pressure continues early this week, leading to more sunshine and warmer afternoon temperatures.
What’s next:
Highs today in the low to mid 80s for parts of western Washington, with highs in central and eastern Washington getting close to 100 degrees. The coast and northern interior will remain in the 70s with mostly sunny skies.
Highs today in the low to mid 80s for parts of western Washington.
Fire Risk Levels
The Fire Risk Levels this week will continue to elevate as we see warming temperatures and increased chance of thunderstorms. East of the cascades is already dry and warm, so the increased chance of new fire starts will be something to watch with the storms.
The Fire Risk Levels this week will continue to elevate as we see warming temperatures and increased chance of thunderstorms. (FOX 13 Seattle)
Looking Ahead:
Temperatures will continue to warm for western Washington through midweek, before we see another low pressure system swing inland Thursday. This low will increase changes of showers and isolated thunderstorms on Thursday, and temperatures will be back to normal for this time of year. This cool down is short-lived as high pressure builds again and highs warm back up into the 80s by the weekend.
Temperatures will continue to warm for western Washington through midweek, before we see another low pressure system swing in Thursday.
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To get the best local news, weather and sports in Seattle for free, sign up for the daily FOX Seattle Newsletter.
Download the free FOX LOCAL app for mobile in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store for live Seattle news, top stories, weather updates and more local and national news.
The Source: Information in this story came from the FOX 13 Seattle Weather Team and the National Weather Service.
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